Splitting the Heavens (1)

The room was nine feet wide and twenty feet long, slightly lower than ordinary houses but much sturdier. The "Shadow" leaped down and landed in a giant net laced with barbs. As he descended, he severed his own arm and threw it with all his might towards those seated at the table.

Inside the room were three seats arranged in a triangle. On the left sat He Peiyu, a fastidious man who had already changed into a black silk robe embroidered with gold after returning from the Qi residence. The robe was tied with a single belt, revealing his muscular chest. In his arms was a graceful, alluring beauty, a prize he had recently won at the Langya training ground in front of Qi Qingzheng. Qi Jiafu happened to recognize her as Xiao Shan, who once served him in the underground bathhouse of the Diding Society.

The beauty, flustered, clung to He Peiyu's chest, crying out in distress, but her deep brown, jewel-like eyes curiously observed everything unfolding.

Opposite He Peiyu were two female officials from the palace, identifiable by their high buns, veils, and court attire. Despite their fear, they maintained their composure.

At the central seat, on the right, sat General He Langfei, and to his left, the main guest, Prime Minister Qi. Four armored generals and four crowned civil officials stood behind them, indicating a formal discussion.

The severed arm of the "Shadow" landed on He Langfei's wine cup, mixing crimson blood with the deep green wine, creating a strange color that dripped onto He Langfei's leg. He hastily stood up, retreating and using his sleeve to wipe it off.

Prime Minister Qi extended his arm to support him, showing concern.

Without hesitation, Qi Jiafu threw his short knife, which embedded itself in the wine table, separating Prime Minister Qi and He Langfei. The civil officials and generals rushed forward, shouting "Careful!" and "Assassins!"

Guards swarmed in, escorting their masters to the safer corners of the room. He Peiyu, more panicked than the beauty in his arms, hurriedly slipped on his shoes and stood up, knocking over the wine table in his haste. As the table overturned, dishes and cups slid to the floor, but he caught a half-full cup of wine, drank it, and then glanced at Qi Jiafu before hiding behind a shield.

If he was pretending, he was doing it impatiently. He seemed to force himself to appear as panicked as everyone else, avoiding any calmness that might upset someone.

"Catch him! He's the leader!" He Langfei shouted, pointing at Qi Jiafu.

Qi Jiafu was undoubtedly the leader; anyone could see that. All the shadows tried to move closer to him but failed. The guards had the absolute advantage in numbers, splitting around forty assassins into eight groups. The first layer of guards formed a shield circle, the second layer attacked with spears, and the reinforcements, who didn't rashly join the battle, occupied higher ground, throwing knives, short swords, sleeve irons, and crossbow bolts. The three layers of guards made the spacious hall feel cramped, moving and reinforcing each other, advancing step by step to crush the intruders.

"Clink—Clank! Clink—Clank!"

From the corner came rhythmic knocking sounds, directing the guards and controlling the pace.

Qi Jiafu found it hard to turn around; almost all long-distance attacks targeted him. His right-hand knife was lost, and in his urgency, he couldn't grab a spear or halberd. The defensive power of the short dagger in his left hand was limited. He could only swing it rapidly, creating a cold gleam to protect himself. He needed three people—at least one—to stand behind him and create a small gap.

"Ha!" A shadow leaped up, jumping over everyone, risking his life to charge at him.

"Clang!" Four spears flew from behind the shields in the corner, simultaneously piercing his knees. In pain, the shadow's hand holding the spike softened, and countless knives and crossbow bolts turned him into a sieve mid-air. By the time he fell at Qi Jiafu's feet, he was a bloody mess.

"Clink—Clank! Clink—Clank!"

The knocking slowed immediately.

These weren't ordinary guards! Despair surged in Qi Jiafu's mind. This coordination was that of elite warriors. They were… the Wolf Fang Seventh Division !

He almost heard He Peiyu's silent sneer—an eye for an eye. You infiltrate my territory, and I respond in kind.

The roles of hunter and prey had swapped. He Peiyu didn't intend to let anyone go. He had patience and methods. This was his hunting ground, and the game had just begun.

"Capture him alive! Find out who sent him!" He Langfei, seeing the situation under control, shouted again.

His order slightly paused the guards' attack. At that moment, Qi Jiafu let out a sharp whistle, and one shadow from each of the eight groups jumped out and rushed toward him.

He needed a barrier, a barrier of flesh and blood.

His only chance was that there were two commanders in the room; the guards had many masters, but the soldiers had only one general.

Without looking at the eight shadows, he pulled a spear from a corpse on the ground, turned, and threw it through the gap between two round shields in front of He Peiyu.

He charged after it.

The spear whistled like a dragon. The guards in front of He Peiyu instantly moved, forming a double layer. The spear broke through the first layer, hitting the iron and copper joint of the second shield accurately. The birch spear seemed like a fiery soul from hell, shattering the leather and hardwood shield, passing through the shoulder blade of the shield-bearer, and with a sharp whistle, heading straight for He Peiyu's chest.

He Peiyu dodged, grasping the spear shaft.

"Pierce!" The spearhead still advanced three feet in his palm, grazing his nose and stopping mid-air.

"Wow!" He Peiyu exclaimed, clicking his tongue in admiration.

Qi Jiafu's men had reached him. He couldn't change his move; he was competing with speed and strength. He flew sideways, his right shoulder hitting the shield's center, his left hand poised to strike. He aimed to tear through the iron barrier head-on.

"Clang!" The shield-bearer staggered back but didn't drop the shield. The shields were connected by iron chains. When Qi Jiafu charged, the guards jointly resisted his blow.

The rebounding force struck him back. Qi Jiafu rolled to avoid the spear attacks, trying to get up, but stumbled. His right shoulder was numb, his chest tight, vision blurred, throat filled with blood. Worst of all, his back, with old wounds from two beatings, was burning. He didn't know which muscles were torn, but he knew surviving tonight was slim.

"This man's strength is unprecedented. It's shocking to find such a master in Changxiang City. Prime Minister Qi, with your vast knowledge, can you tell whose disciple he is?" He Peiyu politely asked Prime Minister Qi.

"I don't know," Prime Minister Qi pondered. "Just settled for the family banquet, and an assassin appears. Perhaps General He has some old grudges?"

"The He family serves the country wholeheartedly. What old grudges? If any, it's with the Mulan slaves, but do they have such skills?" He Peiyu tapped his forehead. "Ah, Prime Minister, you came here at night and were frightened. It's our security lapse, my fault. Once we capture him, we'll interrogate him, and I'll offer wine to calm your nerves."

"Well said," Prime Minister Qi laughed. "Speculation is pointless. Capture him, and we'll know."

Qi Jiafu felt a chill, understanding the Prime Minister's meaning. Life or death tonight didn't matter; what mattered was not revealing anything. He fought and retreated, looking for an escape route.

"What a pity, what a pity," He Peiyu said regretfully.

"What's there to pity about such a desperado?" asked Prime Minister Qi.

"I pity not him, but his mastermind," He Peiyu replied. "My Wolf Fang Seventh Division , claiming unmatched skills, took the advantage of time, place, and people. After a long battle, half of them are lost, and we haven't captured the main culprit. The mastermind must be remarkable. But such talent doing women's tricks is a waste."

"Hmm?" With the situation much safer, the expressions of the two palace maidens relaxed slightly. Hearing He Peiyu's remarks, they asked, "Young General, what do assassins have to do with women?"

"My apologies," He Peiyu replied, respectfully lowering his hands as he began to speak. "When I was in Mulan Prefecture, I frequently fought against the Slaves and encountered numerous assassins, most of whom were women. If their fathers were killed, the daughters would come; if their husbands were killed, the wives would come. This is because women, being physically weaker, cannot fight openly on the battlefield. When provoked, they often resort to desperate attacks. Hehe, don't they realize that such reckless bravery is the act of cowards? The weak remain weak, and the strong remain strong. Betting life for life is merely taking a gamble with fortune. Throughout history, those who conquer territories and build empires train soldiers and amass forces. When has anyone achieved greatness relying on petty thieves? For someone to employ such capable individuals in such unworthy endeavors is unwise and cowardly. That's why I call it a waste."

The two maidens exchanged a glance and nodded approvingly. One of them praised, "The Empress Dowager says the young general is a peerless talent and a pillar of the nation. Meeting you today, I see it is true. Please, Young General, quickly capture this person and uncover their mastermind so we can report back to the palace."

"Yes." He Peiyu showed great respect to the maidens, immediately turning to give orders, "Capture one alive!"

"By your command!" He Peiyu's command echoed that of his father, but the response this time was markedly different.

"Thud!" Four guards thrust their spears simultaneously, piercing the ankle of one of the shadows in the fray, dragging him out from under the shields with a bloodied foot. They pinned him down, tore off his clothes, and ripped away the human patch on his arm.

Underneath the human patch, the blood turned into a black viscous liquid, bubbling grotesquely. Black blood poured from the shadow's mouth, nose, and ears, killing him instantly.

"Their blood is poisonous! Everyone, be careful!" The guards shouted, retreating to check their own hands.

"Ah... ah!" He Langfei finally realized what was happening. He quickly lifted his robe and tore open his pants—his clothes were soaked with the toxic blood, and a small spot on his thigh had already turned into a horrifying patch, with blackened, hardened skin covered in tiny blisters. Touching them lightly caused the blisters to burst, spreading the blackened blood to his fingers.

Screaming, he sat down, tearing off more of his clothes. Those around him quickly backed away, leaving a large space. Only a few guards hesitantly moved forward, shouting in panic, "General, be careful!"

The poisoned blood on his hands increased He Langfei's panic, which in turn accelerated the poison's spread. As he tore off his clothes, the toxic blood touched his chest, and he screamed, trying to avoid the blood pooling on the floor as if escaping a snake. But the snake was the blood flowing continuously from his body. The poison spread, leading to festering wounds. He Langfei could no longer endure it and screamed, "Someone! Call a doctor... someone, quickly... Peiyu! Peiyu!"

He Peiyu watched, equally horrified, pushing through the crowd to reach his father's side, tears in his eyes, and furious. He turned and shouted, "Arrest all of them!"

With the general's order, the guards ignored whether the blood was poisonous or not, surging forward together. This was the last chance to escape. Qi Jiafu leapt up, kicked a spear into the air, and with a swift, angled kick, sent the spear flying towards He Peiyu's forehead. Everyone had seen his previous attack and was prepared this time. He Peiyu's guards simultaneously raised their shields. Qi Jiafu, in midair, hooked his toes on a beam, spinning to avoid a barrage of weapons aimed at him. In the center of the hall, behind him, a large candelabra swayed, with candles falling and spreading flames. The firelight flickered on the edge of his blade as if it had come to life.

He stared at He Peiyu with cold eyes—just for a moment, a moment in which a light also seemed to gather in his eyes.

He Peiyu, always composed, involuntarily took a step back—he was a general; he knew what it meant to have the momentum of a sure kill.

"Thunk thunk thunk thunk thunk—" Spears and long knives nailed into the beam beneath Qi Jiafu, creating an arm-like forest of weapons. Too many long weapons temporarily blocked the short knives and hidden weapons. He remained still; the only weakness of Shadow Blade was the need to gather power before striking.

Slowly raising his knife, at this angle, he didn't care where He Peiyu moved.

He Peiyu glanced at the curved blade embedded in the table, then at the spear piercing the shield. He made a decision, stepped to the right, and grasped Qi Xiang's arm, smiling slightly, "Minister, be careful!"

Qi Jiafu was stunned.

In that moment of hesitation, two grappling hooks flew in from left and right. He quickly regained his senses, deflecting the left hook with his flying dagger, but the right hook caught his shoulder. In a panic, he swung to block, but the hook firmly gripped the black copper wrist guard on his right arm.

He yanked hard, pulling the guard off with a "snap." The soldiers holding the hooks were shocked, shouting, "He has a 'Qi' character on his arm!"

Qi Jiafu's mind went blank. He didn't know what had happened—the human patch was removed, but he was unharmed. The soldiers' shouts spread quickly, everyone looking at He Peiyu, who in turn looked at Qi Xiang.

Qi Jiafu jumped, crashing into the candelabra. Candles scattered, and he swung from the chain, rushing into the darkness outside the hall.

There was no other choice but to flee. Tonight, the entire mission had failed.

He Peiyu waved his hand, signaling everyone to step back. He walked with Qi Xiang, arm in arm, "Minister, I am ashamed. I failed to protect my father or the others, and I watched this man escape under my nose. Your family's Wind Shadow Riders are reputed to be unmatched. Qi Jiafu is the fastest blade in Changxiang City. Our families are close; why not summon him to help us capture this man?"

Qi Xiang smiled, looking into the distance, "Rest assured, Young General. The Wind Shadow Riders should be arriving soon. This man will not escape."

Qi Jiafu scaled the wall along his original path, running down the horse path, turning right into a dead-end alley where a group of "City Garrison" soldiers were brandishing torches and weapons, shouting to catch the thief.

Qi Jiafu dashed in, curling up in a corner, holding his head.

Hiding in the shadows, he watched as He Peiyu's guards shouted and ran around, occasionally using sword hilts to drive the garrison soldiers away, calling them useless. The garrison soldiers humbly complied, not raising any suspicions.

"Commander!" The captain returned to him, "We can't stay here; we must leave!"

"You guard this place; I need to think," Qi Jiafu said impatiently.

He couldn't leave; he had to pay the price for that character on his arm, or else his entire family would suffer.

"Yes!" The captain took a few steps away, then turned back. Despite the Wind Shadow Riders never questioning their superiors, this man asked, "Commander, is it about... that matter? Don't lose hope. There are others with the surname Qi, not just you."

Qi Jiafu shook his head.

Playing dumb wouldn't work. Fate was unpredictable; he hadn't expected Qi Xiang to be here, nor understood why the human patch's poison failed on him.

Should he surrender? Admitting guilt wasn't impossible, but his betrayal would still cause a significant shock. Everyone knew he was Qi Xiang's trusted aide. If he appeared at Qi's house and killed He Langfei, it would only imply that Qi Xiang was eliminating political rivals.

Should he find a scapegoat? He had plenty of willing followers, but it wouldn't deceive the masses. His actions were too visible; no ordinary servant could replicate them.

He couldn't stay here either, awaiting death.

For the first time in his life, Qi Jiafu felt utterly desperate and powerless. He wanted to move but didn't know where to go. Staying put was also dangerous, as he would soon be discovered.

The consequences of reckless actions was that they could leave you in more dire situation than when you first started.